Horse-releaser.



No. 857,189. PATBNTEb' JUNE 18, 1907 A. MoLBAN.

HQRSE RELBASER. APPLIQAT ION FILED JAN;29, 1907.

2 anus-sum 1.

rs: NORRISPETE'RS co, WASHINGTON, n. c.

ARCHIE McLEAN, OF ROWLAND, NORTH CAROLINA.

HORSE-RELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed January 29, 1907. Serial No- 354,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARoHIE McLEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rowland, in the county ofRobeson, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Releasers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to horse releasers and more particularly to that class which are designed to release also the shafts from the vehicle.

Broadly stated the invention comprises an axle clip formed of two sections which are hinged and means engaged with nuts on the two sections to hold the sections against separation, and means for releasing the holding means to permit the sections to separate and drop from the axle.

A further feature of my invention resides in the fact that the device forms-also substantially an antirattler thill coupling. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' is a side elevation of a buggy or other vehicle showing the application of my device to the front axle thereof, Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view through a portion of the buggy showing the releasing means for the device, Fig. 3 is a side elevation in detail of the device when closed, and, Fig. 4 is a similar view when opened.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral 5 denotes the axle of the vehicle and 6 the axle-tree. The thill coupling embodied in my invention comprises a clip formed of two sections 7 and 8 which are hingedly connected as at 9 forwardly of the middleof the clip and upon the section 8 is formed a pair of spaced ears 10 for the reception therebetween of the thill iron 11 there being the usual pin 12 engaged through these ears and the thill iron.

Each member of the clip has a threaded stem portion 13 formed thereon and engaged upon the threaded stem portion are nuts .14. In carrying out my invention, however, the usual yoke plate which is held by such nuts against the underside of the axle is omitted so that when the sections are swung apart, they will readily disengage from the axle. The means for holding the two sections securely around the axle comprises a leaf spring 15 which is arcuate in form and has its forward and upper end curved over as at 16 to engage the end of the thill iron 11. A plate 17 is secured by riveting or in any other suitable manner upon the rear face of the spring 15 adjacent its upper end and is curved rearwardly and downwardly as at 18 and bears against the nut 14 upon the threaded stem portion of the member 8 and'serves effectually to prevent accidental disengagement of the portion 16 from the thill iron. The spring member 15 is curved downwardly and rearwardly beneath the clip and has hingedly connected to its lower and rear end an arm 19 which is curved preferably in a smaller arc than the spring member and bears a ainst the same as at 20. From this pointof contact with the spring member the arm 19 has its forward end turned slightly forwardly as at 21 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Hinged between cars 22 formed integral with the arm 19 is one end portion of a yoke 23, the other end portion of the yoke being bowed rearwardly as at 24 for engagement over the rear nut 14 with the threaded stem portion upon which this nut is engaged seated in the bowed portion 24.

From the foregoing it will be observed that when the arm 19 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3, the point of hinge connection of the arm and the spring member 15 is brought into position rearwardly of the point of connection of the yoke 23 with the said arm and consequently the spring will exert a downward pull against the yoke and firmly hold the clip sections around the axle. On the other hand when the arm 19 is swung away from the clip member, as shown in Fig. 4, the point of connection of the arm with the spring member is moved forwardly of the point of connection of the yoke with the arm and consequently when this is done, the spring will drop from engagement with the nut 14 and the hinged sections of the clip will be permitted to swing open and disengage from the axle.

As is shown in the acoom anying drawings there are two of these thi l releasing devices and in order that they may be simultaneously operated to release the thill, a rock shaft 25 is journaled upon the under side of the axle in parallel relation with respect to the axle and is provided at its middle with a crank portion 26 with which is connected a strap or rod 27 which may be pulled to rock the shaft. The ends of this shaft are bent as at 28 and are engaged with the portion 21 of the arms 19so that when the shaft is rocked, the said arm will be thrown to the position shown in Fig. 4.

What is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections and designed for engagement around an axle, means for holding the sections closed around the aXle, said means-serving also as an antirattler, and means for releasing the sections from engagement with the axle.

2. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections, a thill connected with one of said sections, a leaf spring engaged with the thill, an arm hinged to the spring, a yoke connected with the arm and engaged with the other of the hinged sections, and means for moving the arm to disengage the yoke from the said sections.

3. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections, a thill connected with one of the sections, a spring engaged with one section, an arm hingedly connected with the spring, a yoke hinged to the arm and engaged with the other section, and means for swinging the arm to change the relative location of the hinged joints and disengage the yoke from the said sections.

4. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections, a thill connected with one of the sections, a leaf spring engaged with the thill and with the section to which the thill is connected, an arm hinged to the leaf spring, a yoke hinged to the arm and engageable with the other section, the hinge joint for the arm and s ring being shiftable by the movement oft e arm outwardly from the spring to disengage the yoke from its section.

5. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections, a thill connected with one of the sections, a leaf spring engaged with the thill and with the section to which the thill is connected, an arm hingedly connected-with the spring, a yoke hingedly connected with the arm in advance of the hinged joint of the arm and the spring and engageable with the other section, said arm being adapted'to be swung outwardly from the spring to change the relative location of the hinged joints, and means for swinging the arm.

6. A device of the class described comprising a clip formed of a pair of hinged sections, a thill connected with one of the sections, a leaf spring engaged with the thill and with the section to which the thill is connected, an arm hingedly connected with the spring, a yoke hingedly connected with the arm in advance of the hinged joint of the arm and the spring and engageable with the other section, said arm being adapted to be swung outwardly from the spring to change the relative location of the hinged joints, and a shaft having hooked ends connected with the arm for swinging the same when the shaft is rocked.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIE MOLEAN.

Witnesses:

J. MoBRAoEY, A. T. MoKELLoR. 

